Plate glass assembly



Aug. 2 9 195i L L- GURNEY PLATE GLASS ASSEMBLY Filed J- n. 29 47 2 Sheets-S l g- 1951 L. L. GURNEY 2,565,227 PLATE GLASS ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 29, 194'? 2 Sheets-Shea; 2

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Syn 02mm L.L.Gurne Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATE GLASS ASSEMBLY Laird L. Gurney, Lincoln, N-ebr.

Application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 725,120

1 Claim. '1

The present invention relates to window openings and more particularly to a device for holding plate glass therein.

It is an object of the invention to provide a construction whereby a comparatively large sheet of plate glass may be positioned within a window opening for closing the latter and in a manner whereby a sheet of plate glass is less susceptible to breakage resultant from wind pressures being applied to the glass than heretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for the above described purposes which is so constructed that a firm and even pressure is applied to the plate glass in a manner whereby the latter is free to bend somewhat under the influence of wind pressures while at the same time the glass is firmly gripped by the new device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is substantially air-tight at all times during use; in other words, the device is so constructed that air does not pass through an opening adjacent the new mounting for the glass.

' A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction for the above stated purposes which is comparatively easily installed and which consists of few and small parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which may be readily installed with a minimum of labor time whereby installation is economical.

A still further object is to provide a construction by an employment of which salvage glass may be readily installed, the said device being so constructed that it automatically adjusts itself to salvage glass or other glass of varying thicknesses with respect to an original installation of glass, whereby it is not necessary that a sheet of replacement glass shall be of exactly the same thickness as the original piece of glass as heretofore.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a plate glass holding assembly as described in which an even, firm, cushion-like pressure is applied to all sides of the plate glass; in which glass of various thicknesses may be employed; which may be installed with great speed and accuracy; in which no screw heads or the like are visible from the outside; in which a broken piece of plate glass may be replaced from the outside without disturbing a window display; and in which there are no corrodable parts exposed to the weather.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment 2 thereof and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view of the window pane holding device of the invention shown as attached to a wall portion of a window opening, a portion of the window pane being shown as held in position by the device;

Figure 2 is a frontal elevation of the device as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of a substantially C-shaped member and an integral flat plate employed in the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the spring holding brackets employed;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a broken away portion of a cover member employed;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the resilient springs used to hold the cover member of Figure 5 in place;

Figure 7 is a detailed view in section of a broken away portion of a window sill and showing the preferred method of adjustably securing the spring holding bracket of Figure 4 to the flat plate shown in Figure 3; and

Figure '8 is a frontal elevation of a window pane having the device of this invention secured entirely around the perimeter thereof.

The window glass holding device of this invention is for the purpose of securing a window pane shown at It! in Figure 1 in position covering a window opening, the walls of the latter being formed of a window sill I2 extending at a right angle to the plane of the window opening, and a backing board M, the latter being in parallelism with the plane of the window opening and being secured to the window sill l2 in a position preferably on the inward side of the window sill !2. Such inward side is indicated by the arrow 15.

A member substantially C-shaped in crosssection is provided as generally indicated at it and shown in detail in Figure 3. The main body portion of the C-shaped member I! is preferably parallel with and abutted against the backing board 14. Any suitable means, such as the screws l8 inserted through apertures 20 in the main body portion or inner wall I! and extending into the backing board I t, may be used for securing the C-shaped member 6 to the side walls of the window opening. The C-shaped member I6 is preferably provided with upper and lower arms 22 and 24, respectively, the latter extending outwardly at right angles, to the main body portion ll. The upper arm 22 is provided with a window pane engaging portion or flange 26, the latter. extending in parallelism with the window pane H] for the purpose of engaging the window pane over a wider area than would be possible with the end of the arm 22 alone.

The lower arm 24 of the C-shaped member I5 is attached to a fiat plate 30, the latter extending at a right angle to the main body portion I! of the C-shaped member I6 and in parallelism with the window sill [2 providing a substantially L shape mounting rail, with a vertical leg in which the C-shape member is formed and a horizontal leg. The flat plate 39 abuts against the window sill [2 on all sides of the window opening. The edge of the glass window pane ll! is spaced from the lower arm 24 of the C-shaped member [6 and from the fiat plate 30 by any suitable supports 82. Preferably, the supports 32 are of an inverted U-shape, the sides of the U resting upon the flat plate 30 and the lower arm 24, and the main body portion of the U supporting the edge of the plate glass [0. The supports 32 may be placed at any suitable intervals along theedges of the plate glass l6. Preferably, however, the U-shaped supports 32 are of a length less than the total length of the edges of the plate glass l6 so that at times when the wind pressures blow on the plate glass Ii), the friction of the engagement of the plate glass I6 and the supports 52 will be small enough to permit a certain amount of bending motion of the glass.

It is desirable that each of the supports be of about two inches in length and assuming that the sheet of glass It is feet wide. The space supports 32 along a single edge of a quadrangular piece of glass Ill are usually about two feet from the corners of the glass. A ridge 34 is provided integral with and extending upwardly from the lower arm 24 of the C-shaped member l6 for the purpose of maintaining the spacing supports 32 in position in engagement with the edges of the piece of glass Ill.

The corner formed by the pane of glass it; and the flat plate is hidden by means of a cover plate 35, the latter having, if desired, a serie of rounded portions for giving the cover .35 a pleasant outward appearance. The cover 35 has an inwardly disposed portion or flange 38 which in normal position, as shown in Figure 1, is relatively horizontally disposed. The remainder 40 of the cover 36 preferably extends downwardly and at an angle from the upper portion thereof providing an arcuate vertically disposed flange. The under side of the cover 35 is provided with a rounded well 42, the well being slightly more than semi-circular in cross-section providing a cylindrical socket, as best shown in Figure 5, the upper inwardly disposed side of the well 42 being open for the insertion of the upper end of a later described spring plate 44. The inward end of the cover 36 is normally disposed in engagement with the plate glass It! in a position directly opposite the window pane engaging portion 26 of the C-shaped member 16. The lower edge of the cover 36 is preferably provided with an outwardly flanged drip rim 46, the latter being for the purpose of shielding the window sill [2 from rain water. The inward side of the lower edge of the cover 36 is preferably provided with an inwardly disposed flange 48 for holding the cover 36 in outwardly spaced relationship with respect to the window sill !2.

The springs 44 are each provided with a hook end or rolled upper end 50, the latter defining a circle of a size for insertion into the circular well 32 of the cover 36. The lower end 52 of the spring 44 is preferably curved inwardly toward 4 the window pane Ill with respect to the main body portion 54 of each spring 44.

Spring holding brackets generally indicated at are provided, each having a fiat main body portion on horizontal leg 62 for engagement with the top of the fiat plate 35, the main body portion 62 having slots 64 therein, the latter extending in a direction at a right angle to the pane of glass Ill. The slots 64 are for receiving suitable bolts 66 which latter extend through apertures 68 in the flat plate 30. The lower end of the bolts 66 is provided with a nut 10 and a lock washer T2, the lock washers being for the purpose of securing the bolts 66 in place during vibratory motions of the building in which the pane of glass I9 is attached.

A notch T4 of suitable size is cut into the sill 12 for the reception of the nuts T0. The inward end of the bracket 60 is provided with a U-shaped outwardly curved portion or lip l6 and, if desired, an inwardly disposed portion 18 may be provided integral with the outwardly disposed U-shapecl portion 55 for guiding the lower end of the spring .4 into position in the U-shaped portion E6 of the bracket 66. The U-shaped portion 76 is for the purpose of receiving the lower end 52 of the spring 44. The outer end of the bracket is provided with a second U-shaped portion 88, extending inwardly from the main body portion 52 and a third U-shaped portion 82 is provided on the end of the U-shaped portion 8%}, the third U-shaped portion 82 extending outwardly again. The inward end of the U- shaped portion 32 extends to within a position vertically spaced from and relatively close to the first U-shaped portion 16 of each bracket 60. The inward end of the third U-shaped portion 32 is for the purpose of abutting against the spring "24 and it will be seen that that section 84 of the bracket Gil which lies between the second U-shaped portion 82 and the third U-shaped portion 82 thereof, is spaced from and extends in parallelism with the main body portion 62 of the bracket 69. That portion 86 of the bracket 66 which extends outwardly from the third U- shaped portion 82 is positioned directly above and in parallelism with the portion 84 and the outward end of the portion 86 terminates in a downwardly curved portion 88, the latter extending downward to within the horizontal plane of the main body portion 62 of the bracket 60. The lower end of the portion 68 may be provided,

if desired, with an upwardly turned reinforcing flange 93, the latter also being for the purpose of abutting the inwardly disposed flange 48 of the cover 36. Suitable apertures 92 are provided extending through the portions 86 and 84 of thebracket 66 so that a wrench-tool may be inserted therethrough for tightening the bolts 66.

In operation, it will be seen that the window holding assembly of this invention may be installed by first securing the C-shaped member [6 and the integral fiat plate 30 to the window sill l2 and the backing board [4 by means of the screws l8. Thereupon the spacing supports 32 are placed in position extending over the ridge 34. The window pane ll! of plate glass is then set in place on the supports 32 and abutting against the window engaging flange 26 of the C- shaped portion 16.

, The Spring holding brackets 66, the latter being approximately 3 inches long, are then placed in positions upon the flat plate 30. For a quadrangular window pane [0, a plurality of the 8 brackets 60 would be used on each side depending upon the size of the pane Ill. The brackets 60 are then bolted by means of the bolts 66 in a desired position against the flat plate 39, the desired position in this case depending upon the thickness of the plate glass ID.

The curled upper ends 50 of the springs 14 are then placed in position in the wells 42 of the covers 36. Each of the latter may then be placed in the positions shown in dotted lines at 66 in Figure 1. The lower end 52 of each of the springs 44 will then be guided into position in the curved portions 16 of the bracket 69. The covers 36 may then be twisted from the position 66' to the full line position as shown in Figure 1. This twisting motion will force the springs 66 from the position 68 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 to the full line position there shown.

It will be seen that as thus assembled, the tension placed upon the springs :12 as they bear against the third U-shaped portions 82 of the brackets 66 will hold the inward edge of the cover 66 tightly against the window pane l6, the lower side or flanged edge 46 of the cover 36 being tightly held against the outer edges 99 of the brackets 66 and against the outer edge of the window sill l2. After the covers 36 have been thus installed about the circumference of the window pane l6, and since the covers 36 have mitered corners, the assembly will have an appearance as shown in Figure 8.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a plate glass assembly constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it Will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

In a. plate glass mounting frame section, the combination which comprises a substantially L- shape mounting rail having a horizontally disposed leg with bolt holes therein and a vertically disposed leg, said vertically disposed leg being 0- shape in cross section having an inner wall with an upper arm having a longitudinally disposed recess therein and having a glass abutting flange on the outer edge and a lower arm spaced from the lower surface of the horizontal leg and connected to said horizontal leg through a vertically positioned flange which is located in a plane extended through a pane of glass positioned against the flange of the upper arm, spaced inverted U- shape supports positioned over the said vertically positioned flange for receiving a pane of glass, horizontally positioned spring holding brackets U-shape in cross section having a lower main body section positioned on the horizontally disposed leg of the mounting rail and an upper shorter section connected to the lower section through an arcuate end, said upper section folded upon itself, extended downwardly over the arcuate end and having a U-shape reinforcing flange on the lower edge, the inner edge of said horizontally disposed section of the bracket having an arcuate lip with an outwardly extended flange thereon, a cover plate having a substantially horizontally disposed flange on the upper edge with a vertically disposed arcuate flange on the lower edge connected to the horizontally disposed flange with an arcuate section and having an elongated substantially cylindrical socket with an open side on the inner surface, and a vertically disposed arcuate sprin plate having 2, rolled upper end positioned with the rolled upper end pivotally mounted in the cylindrical socket of the cover plate and located between the cover plate and glass with the lower edge in the arcuate lip of the horizontally disposed section of the bracket and with the intermediate part thereof resiliently held against the end of the said short section of the bracket, whereby the said cover plate is resiliently urged against the said pane of glass and mounting rail.

LAIRD L. GURNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 17,706 Nelson June 17, 1930 2,190,720 Lowry Feb. 20, 1940 2,268,269 Toney et a1 Dec. 30, 1941 2,296,720 Lowry Sept. 22, 1942 2,321,237 Peterson June 8, 1943 2,411,691 Miller Nov. 26, 1946 

